cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Camp stove vs Camp grill

Roy_Lynne
Explorer
Explorer
We need a camp stove to cook meals on and I've seen the stove that has one burner for pots and the other side a grill and then the one with just two burners. Does anyone have any experience with using both and what would you recommend. We don't grill a lot but it might be because we don't own a grill, if we had one??
And what do you look for when you buy a camp stove? Are BTU numbers really important?
Thanks in advance.
22 REPLIES 22

Wavesprite
Explorer
Explorer
Plus, you aren't supposed to ever close the lid on the Roadtrip.....so that seemed strange to me....

Wavesprite
Explorer
Explorer
We had the Roadtrip, but man I hated that. If I want to grill, I don't want it to be on a flat non stick surface with slits in it and it was SO HEAVY and I hated cleanup!! So we sold that, and went back to our old gas Weber Go Anywhere grill, and a small Coleman camp stove. I hardly ever use the stove outside, so it's just stored. Plus, we like to grill over the fire if we can and use disposable grates that I pickup at Daiso (a Japanese dollar store).

Basically, what I'm saying is, I don't like grilling on those non stick surfaces, more on a grill and I prefer to have my stove separate, even though it's two different things to bring.

NYCgrrl
Explorer
Explorer
ORbiker wrote:
Bipeflier wrote:
Still using our Coleman 3 burner white gas stove. Over 40 years old now.

Use a cast iron griddle on top to fry eggs, make pancakes, etc. Simple is better for us when camping.

If it is cooked outside, it is either the Coleman or our DO.


I had a Coleman 3 burner white gas stove. Worked great. I sold it for $50 at a garage sale a few years ago. They are pretty hard to find and the quality can't be beat.


Bought a mid '70's 2 burner white gas Coleman stove (25 bucks)10 odd years back just because I knew how to operate it, wasn't happy with the cost of propane, and had heard newer models needed more maintenance/had manufacturing issues.

Kind of ironic since 12 years before, I'd given my original '70's version away, LOL.

ORbiker
Explorer
Explorer
Bipeflier wrote:
Still using our Coleman 3 burner white gas stove. Over 40 years old now.

Use a cast iron griddle on top to fry eggs, make pancakes, etc. Simple is better for us when camping.

If it is cooked outside, it is either the Coleman or our DO.


I had a Coleman 3 burner white gas stove. Worked great. I sold it for $50 at a garage sale a few years ago. They are pretty hard to find and the quality can't be beat.
Backpacker and tent camper all my life. Motorcycle trips with a tent too 1978 to Present. 2016 Grand Design 380TH as of 10-29-2015. Now a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude as of 3-16-19. 10-19-18-traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 Long Box.

Jebby14
Explorer
Explorer
I use one of those colmen combos when I cant cook on the fire but don't want to cook inside (I hate cooking in the camper) it getsthe job done but its not particularly good at it and cleaning it can be nasty. I run a line off the main 30 lb tanks on the tongue. in a pinch it works but don't expect a high end unit.the stove burner is fine. the grill is either super hot or not hot. that said if space is a big deal a folding grate lets you do whatever on the fire (this is how I cook most of my camping meals)
Q: Whats brown and sticky???

A: A Stick....

Bipeflier
Explorer
Explorer
Still using our Coleman 3 burner white gas stove. Over 40 years old now.

Use a cast iron griddle on top to fry eggs, make pancakes, etc. Simple is better for us when camping.

If it is cooked outside, it is either the Coleman or our DO.
2010 Cruiser CF30SK Patriot
2016 3500 Duramax
1950 Right Hand Seat GPS (she tells me where to go)

Oldtymeflyr
Explorer
Explorer
We have a Coleman Grill Stove and it works well. Its a very flexible appliance.

As a grill its much quicker than charcoal, we like charcoal but sometimes we need speed.

The grill will support a large cast iron pot or remove the grill grid and install the Coleman griddle. We use the griddle a lot and it works inside on the camper stove.

We have had ours for about 8 years now and its stood the test of time.

Good luck.

Rick

jspringator
Explorer
Explorer
I've started using smooth top electric griddle. I bring an extension cord long enough to reach the electrical box so I won't blow a fuse. Easy to clean with paper towels, easy to store and the fuel is free and you never run out. I have a nice propane grill that I don't bother to take any more. Between this, a coffee maker and a microwave you are set.
Jim & Sherri
02 Winnebago Sightseer 27c Class A;
"Scout" Springer Spaniel, gone but not forgotten;
"Boo" Chocolate Labradoodle.

Merrykalia
Explorer
Explorer
We camp-host two months every summer, not consecutive months (May and August), sp we set up to be there for a while. We have an O-grill from LL Bean that we purchased in Maine about 5 years ago and we LOVE it, but we also have a CampChef stove with an oven. Everything we make can be made outside, under our awning on these two propane fired cooking units. The CampChef has two eyes, one is very high BTU and the other is for simmering. The oven bakes wonderful biscuits.

Yes, the higher the BTU rating, the quicker you can boil water and cook other things. On some of these stoves, you cannot get water to boil in an hour. (Friends had one and we finally took it off their burner, put it on ours and had it boiling in about 5 minutes.
2017 Ford F350 Crew Cab 6.7L 4x4 DRW

ORbiker
Explorer
Explorer
This setup with the distribution pipe and a shorter propane tank with a lantern on top would be ideal for car camping.

Backpacker and tent camper all my life. Motorcycle trips with a tent too 1978 to Present. 2016 Grand Design 380TH as of 10-29-2015. Now a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude as of 3-16-19. 10-19-18-traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 Long Box.

ORbiker
Explorer
Explorer
NYCgrrl wrote:
Sweet setup, Dutchman!

Looks like you could feed the neighborhood:c:


DITO
The only stove you didn't have is a crab cooker for boiling water.
Backpacker and tent camper all my life. Motorcycle trips with a tent too 1978 to Present. 2016 Grand Design 380TH as of 10-29-2015. Now a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude as of 3-16-19. 10-19-18-traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie Crew Cab 4x4 Long Box.

NYCgrrl
Explorer
Explorer
I'm not a fan of the Coleman Road Trip in any iteration.
There are times I want to close the lid to cook/smoke a roast and it's lid is in a fixed position that makes it difficult to adjust even with mods. Not content with it's ability to heat up and give grill marks, at least on the versions, I've worked on.

When I cook outdoors, I try to get tools that mimic the convenience of home appliances and the CRT can neither roast or smoke large cuts, and I find it inconvenient to clean.

Now this may be based on my ways of cooking which are allll over the place. Haven't gotten around to settling into high or low heat cooking (no matter how exasperated the man gets until its put on his plate;))yet if I knew how I actually cooked on a regular basis it might be the answer, LOL.

Lantley
Nomad
Nomad
RoyB wrote:
We use the Coleman Road Trip and it meets all of our cooking needs.. The Weber Q Series probably has a better seal with its tight lid etc... Some folks like that idea for better heat distribution in the cooking area...

I like the Coleman Road trip for all of the accessories including the nice stand etc that can be purchased for it and all fits in a nice roll around two wheeled tote...

The Coleman Road trip runs off of a single 1LB propane canister and has two burners... Also has a water reservoir around the burners in a tray that makes for very easy cleanup...



We have been using our setup since 2008

Roy Ken

I tried to like the roadtrip.I had the bag and all the accesories.
Everything was great except the darn thing did not heat that well.
I camp in some pretty cold conditions some times and the Roadtrip would struggle to get hot.
The Weber Q does not have the built in stand or quite as many accessories. It is not quite as convenient to use as the Roadtrip. However it does get hot under all conditions which trumps all other factors. A grill that does not get hot is of no use to me.
I eventually sold all of my Roadtrip stuff on Craigslist and have become a Weber Q convert.:C
19'Duramax w/hips,12'Open Range,Titan Disc Brake
BD3,RV safepower,22" Blackstone
Ox Bedsaver,RV760 w/BC20,Glow Steps, Enduraplas25,Pedego
BakFlip,RVLock,5500 Onan LP,Prog.50A surge,Hughes autoformer
Porta Bote 8.0 Nissan,Sailun S637
Correct Trax,Splendide

NYCgrrl
Explorer
Explorer
Sweet setup, Dutchman!

Looks like you could feed the neighborhood:c: